Snickerdoodle Pie

Snickerdoodles.  I have posted about them here on latent chestnut and on Family Tree-Eats.  They are one of my favorite cookies, and Emilie's personal favorite.  The other day, Em and I were making fresh pasta, and she kept talking about wanting to make a pie with the pasta dough.  I told her that the dough was completely different and that we would make a pie another time.  Though, I must say that the rolled pasta sheets do look similar to pie crust.

She wouldn't let it go and kept talking about making a pie.  I kept telling her we would do it another day.  Out of the blue, she said, "Can we make a snickerdoodle pie?"  That question perked my ears up in a hurry.  I had never heard of a snickerdoodle pie, and this sounded like to perfect time to dream one up.  We had a few errands to run, so she sat in the backseat with a pen and paper and I started listing off some ingredients for her to write down.  Before we knew it, we had the makings of a snickerdoodle pie.

As soon as we got home, we made a pie crust and put it in the refrigerator to cool before rolling it out.  Then we got to work on making the filling. I must have channeled my grandma's buttermilk pie recipe when Emilie and I were thinking of ingredients, because these pies are very similar.  Perhaps because I thought buttermilk would be the perfect component to a snickerdoodle inspired pie, because of it's tang.  But what gives snickerdoodles that bit of tang, I wondered?

When I think of snickerdoodles, I think of a cookie that is soft and chewy on the inside, delightfully crispy on the edges.  I think of the warm spiciness of the cinnamon and the use of cream of tartar in the recipe.  Dare I add cream of tartar to the pie?  What does it even do?  Does it even have it's own flavor?  I needed answers!

I went straight to the source and popped open my jar of cream of tartar and tasted it all by itself.  It was quite tangy and acidic.  Which makes sense because my snickerdoodles have a bit of tang that is balanced out by the sugar and cinnamon.  Cream of tartar also acts as a stabilizer, so I thought that it couldn't hurt to add some to our new pie creation.  I think it is just as much a part of snickerdoodles as the cinnamon and sugar coating.

The pie filling came together like nothing, especially since Emilie did it all by herself while I was rolling out the pie crust.  I just gave it a final whisking at the end to make sure all the ingredients were thoroughly integrated.  To replicate the cinnamon sugar coating on the traditional cookie, we mixed some cinnamon and sugar together and rubbed it in to the empty pie shell.  Then, with about 20 left in the cooking process, we dusted the top of the pie with more cinnamon and sugar.

The pie had the look of a snickerdoodle, but it was now time for the moment of truth...tasting and judgment!  Upon removing the first slice of pie, I breathed a sigh of relief because the filling had set up beautifully.  It was nice and creamy, and just looked delicious.  After taking the first bite, my eyes lit up and I knew we had something special.

This pie is creamy, tangy, sweet and cinnamon-ny.  The pie crust and the cinnamon and sugar topping add a nice texture, that is ever so reminiscent of a snickerdoodle.  The tang from the buttermilk and cream of tartar are balanced by the sugar to create a truly unique pie.  This one is a keeper!

Just out of curiosity, I did an internet search for snickerdoodle pie and found the options very limited. So, not only is this pie incredibly satisfying and delicious, I think it is pretty unique, too.  To think, it probably wouldn't have happened if Emilie didn't want to make a pie with pasta dough...


Snickerdoodle Pie
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 stick melted butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup buttermilk

1 9 inch pie crust (preferably homemade)

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, melted butter, flour, cream of tartar, and buttermilk until thoroughly combined.

In a small bowl or cup, mix together the cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Take half of the cinnamon sugar mixture and rub onto the top of the empty pie crust.  Then, pour the filling into the pie crust and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.   Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes. 

Then, pull out the oven rack or take the pie out of the oven and top with the remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Return the pie to the 300 degree oven and continue to bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the filling barely jiggles when moved. Cool completely before serving.

Colts Pillows

I was on the phone with my mom asking for birthday ideas for Marty.  She started listing a few things, then she mentioned he might want a body pillow.  That struck me as a different and fun kind of gift, but I didn't know how to pick one out for him.  My mom and I continued talking with the body pillow idea in the back of my mind.  I don't know if she came up with it or if it was me, but we decided it would be neat if I made a cover for it.  New project!

For the body pillow, I used Indianapolis Colts fabric, the same pattern I used for the back of the Colts quilt.  The pillow came together very easily, just a few cuts of fabric and a few seams sewn together and it was complete.  I was a little concerned about the pillow sliding around inside the cover, but it securely stayed in place.  Overall, I am quite happy with the way it turned out.

Marty really liked his present and it was displayed nicely on their new couch in the basement.  The couch is black, and my mom had been trying to find throw pillows to match.  I mentioned to her how nice the body pillow looked on the couch and she asked me if I could make throw pillows with the same fabric.  New project!

We were talking about the pillows when I noticed that her old throw pillows were enclosed in a zipper case.  All I had to do was unzip the case, take out the pillow insert, and they were ready for a new cover.  I used the same method to cover the throw pillows as I did the body pillow, and they were done in no time.  I took them back to my mom and they were a perfect fit in the basement.  Who knew pillow making would be so much fun?

Still safe!

Remember this?  It's amazing how much things change in just over a year.  Although, one thing remains constant, she is still an angel!

Eggfest 2011

It's that time of year again!  The time has come to strip down the kids and color some eggs!  An event that used to be held on the kitchen floor has been moved to the dining room table.  Ari, Emilie, and Piper are a year older and a year wiser, and they colored those eggs like a well oiled machine.  They colored those eggs with such precision and efficiency, they may be able to keep their shirts on next year.  Although, with Thomas in the mix, who knows what will happen.  The kids had a blast and we ended up with some beautiful eggs.

BEFORE

AFTER

(I love the way Ari's hand looks in this picture)

Get ready to get dirty

It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.  This year Emilie joined the fun as we planted seeds for our garden.  The kids didn't really need me, but I was eager to help.  I distributed the seeds and they gently placed them in the dirt.  Ari was a wonderful teacher for Emilie who did not hesitate to get her hands dirty.  This has become quite the tradition.

Items to be featured in our garden include:

Tomato (Wisconsin 55)

Cherry Tomato

Basil

Jalapeno

Cantaloupe

Cucumber

Pea

Leaf Lettuce

We are going to put the basil and jalapeno plants in their own pots and put everything else in the garden.

I can only imagine what it will look like in a couple of months; and you know I'll keep you posted!

Princess Zelda Quilt Templates

To put it lightly, Emilie is a big fan of princesses.  She knows all the Disney princesses, goes crazy whenever she sees Princess Peach, and likes to play Zelda on the DS.  When she started sleeping in her 'big girl' bed, she picked princess bed sheets; and we just put some Tangled wall clings up in her room.  So, I thought it would be fitting to make her a princess quilt for her bed.

Having success with with the square patterns from early Nintendo characters such as Mario and Link, I decided to check out what the princesses looked like.  I first looked up Princess Peach from Super Mario Bros.

Even though the squares are easily defined and not too small, I didn't like the looks of this Princess.  The other images of Princess Peach didn't really impress.  I then moved on to Princess Zelda to see if her 8-bit representation was any better.  I first checked the original Zelda design from The Legend of Zelda.

Although I thought this Princess Zelda looked better than Princess Peach, it still wasn't what I was looking for for Emilie's quilt.  So, I searched for other images of Zelda and found a couple that would translate well to the kind of quilt I want to make. 

Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons

 

Four Swords series

These two iterations of Zelda are both from handheld Nintendo systems, so the images I was able to find were all very small.  They were also quite blurry when I magnified them, so find the block pattern was a bit difficult.

I couldn't decide which pattern to use for the quilt, and I had a grand plan to take it to a vote here on latent chestnut.  Then it hit me, it's Emilie's quilt, I should let her decide.  So, I called her over to the computer and asked her which princess she wanted on her quilt.  She decided on the Zelda from Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. 

I'm thinking about incorporating some new techniques with this quilt, as well.  I have found some flower patterns the I may put in the corners or around Zelda somehow.  Whatever I decide, I am definitely looking forward to me next quilting challenge.

Big Girl Bed

We have been slowly 'unbaby-proofing' our house for the last month or so.  We took down the gate on the stairs, purged the toys, removed the locks from the cabinet doors (the ones that still worked), and it all culminated with moving Emilie to a 'big girl' bed.  So, don't bring your babies to our house, it's not safe.

Last weekend, when we made the transition, we tried to make it fun for Emilie.  She helped me take apart her crib and put up her new bed frame, then we went out and she picked out her own bed sheets.  She was a bit leery at first, but once the bed was made, she got really excited and promptly started jumping on the bed.

Emilie is a book lover, and the first few nights after the transition we had some struggles with her getting out of bed to get more books.  Since her bedroom is right over the living room, we could hear every time she got of bed.  When we went to check on her, her bed was full of books, and she would just smile at us with a book in her hands.  It took her over an hour to fall asleep.

The past few nights have been a lot better, though.  So, either the the initial excitement has worn off or the exhaustion has set in.  She will still get out to get books but is too tired look at them.  When I checked on her last night, she was asleep in her bed completely surrounded by books.  What an angel.  The big girl bed is a success.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

All Hallows Eve Eve

Halloween is almost upon us, so I would like to direct you to Ditalini Press where this months topic is "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark."  Included is my own original scary story "Pink Carnation."

Perhaps you'll find a new bone-chilling tale to tell around the campfire.  Plus, if you'd like to get in one the spine-tingling action and submit an original ghost story, just leave a comment in any of the posts, and we'll be happy to accommodate.

We've been busy getting ready for the night by making costumes and carving pumpkins.  Here's a look at the kids with all of our pumpkins.

Now with the lights off...

Spooky!  Carving was a lot of fun this year, especially because Ari drew the face on his pumpkin and I carved it with his supervision; as to not misinterpret his vision.  His is the second one from the left in the picture, the one with the wide eyes and crooked smile.  It looks really neat with the lights out.  Stay tuned for pictures of the kids in their costumes.  Here's hoping everyone has a happy and safe Halloween!

Coyote Kids

Coyote Kids is a free summer running program presented by the Club Kokomo Roadrunners.  Ari has participated for the last three years, and this is the first year Emilie has joined the fun.  The kids absolutely love going to Jackson Morrow park to run, and they get a ribbon and popsicle after each race.

It has become quite the event as kids age 0-18 can participate.  It is so nice to see so many kids out there ready to run.  There are only six weeks of races, but it is the highlight of our Thursday evenings while it is going on.  Emilie ran in the 25-yard run, while Ari ran the quarter mile.  Parents can run with their kids, too, and I have to admit Ari left me in the dust a couple times during the quarter mile run.  The kids seem to have an endless supply of energy.  Emilie did a great job, too, even if we had to hold her hand during her race.

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Brave the tomato plants!

I've been closely watching our cherry tomato plant as the little tomatoes slowly change to red, eagerly anticipating plucking them off one by one.  At last the day was here, and Ari picked the first tomatoes of the season! 

Our garden basically looks like a little vegetable jungle. It is apparent that I still have a few things to learn about how far apart to space out the plants, especially the tomatoes.  Nevertheless, there were tomato plants to be slain!

Undaunted, Ari plunged into the viney plant and snatched the first red tomato he saw!  He narrowly escaped the clutches of the artichoke plant to give his prized bounty to the fair maiden anxiously awaiting his return.

She gazed longingly at her cherished treasure, realizing that soon she would sink her teeth into its juicy flesh.

She held her prize in triumph knowing all will eat well this night!

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Mario Head Start

I am half-way finished with the front of my Mario quilt; and Ari and Emilie would be happy if I stopped here.  I have to admit I have had the most fun making this quilt because I am able to see Mario come together with each square. Stay tuned...

Nonna's pizza

I posted about pizza last month and mentioned how Nonna and my mom inspired me to make my own pizza from scratch. I had no idea that post would create such a firestorm of pizza chatter that culminated with me, my mom, and Angela making pizza, as she so eloquently put it, 'Nonna style.'

It started when Eva left a comment on the pizza post stating that she had a recipe card with Nonna's pizza recipe on it. She offered to send me the recipe and I was eager to see it. As I read the recipe, I saw that it called for the cheese to go directly on the dough, then sauce and toppings on top of the cheese. I did not realize Nonna assembled her pizza that way, so I asked Eva if she remembered. She did not remember either, so we decided we needed to get the facts from more experienced 'Nonna's pizza' connoisseurs.

So, Eva emailed Aunt Sue and Aunt Mare, and I asked my mom. We heard back from Aunt Sue first, and she confirmed the cheese was directly on the dough. I learned the term "Where there's no cheese, put cheese," which was what Nonna told Nedra when she was helping her assemble the pizzas. I also learned that Nonna used slices of mozzarella and not shredded. We then heard back from Aunt Mare and she added that Nonna used a mixture of half whole wheat, and half white flour for the crust, and to sprinkle finely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese on top of the sauce and toppings. When I talked to my mom, she told me how Nonna made her own sauce, and some of the herbs and seasonings she used.

I felt better knowing how Nonna made her pizza, but I realized I really didn't really remember Nonna's pizza. I just had a vague recollection if it, perhaps an amalgam of different pizzas I have had. I couldn't even remember the cheese was under the sauce, for goodness sake. Then, I had a revelation, the best way to remember Nonna's pizza was to make Nonna's pizza.

Eva and I continued emailing each other about what we found out about Nonna's pizza. Meanwhile, I asked my mom if Nonna still had her pizza pans, and she said she would check. If I was going to make Nonna's pizza, I wanted to make it as authentic as possible, right down to the pans she used. My mom asked Uncle Lee if he knew where the pans where and he was able to find them. I wanted to make the pizzas with my mom, so we decided to make them for my birthday party at her house.

We each made a batch of dough using Nonna's recipe that Eva sent us. My mom got the sauce simmering early in the day, and by the time I got there in the afternoon we were ready to make the pizza. We decided to make one cheese pizza, one with pepperoni and sausage, and one supreme.

Angela helped us too, and my mom showed her how Nonna cut the slices of mozzarella. We then placed the slices of cheese on the dough remembering the adage 'where there's no cheese, put cheese.'

Then came the sauce and toppings with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

We baked the pizzas at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, and when they came out of the oven I thought to myself, 'these look like Nonna's pizzas.'

Complete with the crispy edges.


The proof was in the eating, though. The cheese pizza brought back what I remembered Nonna's pizza to be. My mom said is best when she took that first bite and said, 'This is my mom's pizza!" She looked stunned, and said she didn't think it would be so close to the original. I asked Angela, and she said it was just how she remembered, too.

It was a little surreal eating that pizza again after so many years. It was also very rewarding because we were able to introduce it to Valerie, Michael, and Marty. Watching Ari, Emilie, and Piper eat it was also special, since this pizza was so much a part of my childhood. Ari even asked for seconds, which is something he rarely does.

I loved using Nonna's pizza pans, and I am so glad I was able to borrow them. Seeing all those marks from the pizza cutter on the bottom of the pan, I knew these pans were special and got a lot of use. This recipe is definitely a keeper, and I look forward to breaking in my own pizza pan and revisiting Nonna's pizza for years to come.

Easter!

We got the Easter festivities started this year by coloring some eggs on Friday. We spread some newspaper on the floor, filled some cups with dye, and let the kids have at it! It was pretty much chaos, and we attempted to control it to no avail. The kids hands were shades of colors I didn't know existed, but it was all the name of fun and creativity, so it was well worth it.

It was over in no time and we ended up with some beautiful eggs.

We arose Easter morning and I baked a delicious little lamala (thanks again Eva and Daniel) and the kids dug into their Easter baskets.
We then headed over to my mom & Marty's house and the kids hunted for their colored eggs. Emilie did really well considering Ari showed no mercy.

You don't want to mess with the boy when he's huntin' eggs!

It was a gorgeous day and I've got a lot of egg salad to eat! Here's a look at my favorite egg this year...

Shave!

Sometimes I shave at night, and if the kids are taking a bath at the same time, I've got to share the love. Once they see the shaving cream come out they start yelling 'shave!' and I dispense some shaving cream onto one of their hands. The thrill of the shaving cream coming out of the can is only half the fun, they then proceed to lather up just like Dad (only I just lather my face).


I remember my dad giving me on old disposable razor with the blades removed so I could pretend to shave, so one night I did the same for Ari and Emilie; and now they have razors of their own, too. Ari likes to pretend to actually shave more than Emilie; she mainly just likes to lather herself. It keeps them busy and entertained for a long time, and it's the highlight of their bath.

I just wish shaving could be that much fun for me.

Safety first

That's my girl! One can never be too safe, you know. She's gotta be prepared because she never knows when a little four-year-old on a bicycle may came barreling into her. On accident, of course. Hey, at least she's prepared...

Wall clings galore

We couldn't leave Emilie out of the wall cling fun. Rummaging through the aisles of target, Valerie spotted a pack of Dora the Explorer wall clings. With Emilie's recent fascination of the exploradora in full swing, we couldn't pass it up; especially for only ten bucks.

They aren't on the same level as Ari's Mario wall clings in terms of quantity or quality, but it doesn't matter; Emilie absolutely loves them. We put the majority of them right over her crib, which worked out well since Valerie was looking for something to fill the empty space. I must say, they look pretty good in her room.

When I was putting the last of the clings on the wall, Ari came into Emilie's room and complimented me on a job well done. He then proceeded to tell me that now I needed to get some "Lost" wall clings for my bedroom. I laughed and told him that it probably wasn't going to happen, emphasis on the word "probably". Though "Lost" may be over the top, I wouldn't be opposed to some Alton Brown wall clings in the kitchen. Hmmm... that reminds me, I better get started on that birthday list!

Carvin'

Well, Halloween is over, and it sure was a doozy. We got the festivities going by carving our pumpkins on Wednesday. Mom, Marty, Ang, Michael and Piper were all over at our house for a fun-filled evening. Five pumpkins went under the knife that night and they all turned out really good.

We went to a pumpkin patch with my dad and Mary Lee down in Southern Indiana a couple weeks ago so the kids could pick out their own pumpkins. Ari liked the "bumpy" pumpkins, so we got a couple to display on our front porch. On Wednesday, when I cut the top off Emilie's it was rotten on the inside. Ari's was a little rotten, too, but after we got over the smell, the carving went off without a hitch.

All the kids liked their pumpkins and we lit them all up together before everyone left. We did them freehand this year after using patterns with Eva & Daniel last year. I would have used a pattern, but I couldn't find the one I wanted. I had a specific face in mind, but all my searches came up empty. Also, I noticed a lot of websites did not provide free patterns this year, you had to pay or join the site too see the patterns they had. Nevertheless, it was a fun evening of pumpkin carving, and I can only imagine it will be even more fun when the kids can carve their own.

Here is some visual proof of the pumpkins we carved this year. From left to right the pumpkins belong to Emilie, Ari, Michael, Angela, and Piper.


And with the lights out...